Weft end controller for automatic looms and bobbins therefor



Aug. 23, 1932. w. H. WAKEFIELD 1,873,166

WEFT END CONTROLLER FO R AUTOMATIC LOOMS AND BOBBINS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 5, 1931 FIL;.4

.[Nl/E/VT'UR WA ,1. TEE'H 1 144/1'5/7540 Ava/5 5 r5 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES I MASSACHUSETTS wnr'r END CONTROLLER r012. Airwoman isms-awn sosmsmemma j WALTER H. WAKEFIELD, on woncEs'rER, massacnnsnr'rs. .ASSIGNOB T0 mmonia.

KNOWLES LOOM wonxs, or woncnstrnn, MAss-Acrznsnms, A conrone'rro v or Application 'filed January 3, 19:31Q' :Seria1 No. 506,427.- I

I This invention has as its general object to improve and simplify-means for extracting the weft end which trails from an expelled bobbin at the time of transfer in a weft replenishing loom.

In usual bobbin changing looms it is customary to expel the depleted bobbin and in its place insert a full bobbin by means of transfer mechanism which drives the depleted bobbin downwardlythrough a slot in the lay, the bobbin ultimately coming to rest in a bobbin can. At the instant of transfer there is a weft end extending from the sel vage .or shuttle feeler cutter to a shuttle eye and through the latter to the outgoing bob: bin. This length of thread should beentirely withdrawn from the shuttle and the shuttle box prior to subsequent picking of theshuttle to prevent the latter from whipping a short end of weft into the shed to produce a blemish inthe cloth. Where a cutter is used on the shuttle feeler the length of the thread to be withdrawn is somewhat shorter; but even under these conditions it has been found with certain types of yarn that extraction of the thread end does not always occur. Heretofore an inclined wall on the bobbin chute of the lay has been used to engage the bobbin butt and retard its downward movement so that the tip could advance ahead of the butt. It is an important object of my present invention to use the inclined'wall or its equivalent and provide the butt of the bob- I bin with a projection or similar device which will engage the weft to prevent the latter from unwinding over the butt when the tip is advancing.

Itis a specific object of the invention in this connection to provide a bobbin theretaining rings of which may be so formed as to present a snare to trap filling should the latter attempt to unwind over the butt end of the bobbin; As a variation of this latter construction I may employ a clip held under to catch the thread. i K 1 WVith these and other objects in view which will appea-ras thedescription'proceeds, my:

invention resides inthecombination and arrangement of parts heremafter described and.

set forth in the claims;

In theaccompanying. drawing, -wherein"a I the ringson the bobbinb utt and so shaped as so tion of ashuttle showing part of a bobbin 7 made according to my inventionin its-preferred form,

- Fig. 3 is a top planview of a'structure I shown in Fig. 2,: V v a Fig.4 shows the relation which two bobbins may assume with: respect to-each other when the clip is uppermost or turnedQOf? from the position'shown in-Fig. 2., a

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic'view showing the relation of the clip and weft whenthe latter attempts to unwind over thebutt, y Fig. 6 isa detail perspective view of the butt of the bobbin having the modified form V of my invention applied thereto,

F Fa V w similar'to F g. 5 but 111115 trating the modified form, and j Fig; 8 is an enlarged vertical section on 88 of Fig. 7.. 1 1

Z Referring to Fig. 1,- I have shown aloom lay 10 on which ismounted a shuttle S having a bobbin B which ordinarily is located above aslot 11 in the lay when theshuttle is properly boxed. A- transferrer fmechanism 12 maybe controlled by magazine parts not herein disclosed but wellzunderstood and ops erative atthe'time of transfer to'push a full bobbin into the shuttle and at the same time expel the depleted bobbin. Asifshown' in Fig. 1 the transferrermechani'sm hasjust completed an insertion of the full bobbin and the expelled bobbin is shown in two positions the dotted position being that which the outgoing bobbin assumes shortly after transfer, and the full line position that which the bobbin assumes a little later. A bobbin chute 13 extends downwardly from the lay and is secured to the latter by bolts 14, and preferably has an inclined wall 15 whichis oblique with respect to the initialdownward movement of the bobbin. I

The shuttle may be equipped withsprings designated generally at 16 in Figs, 2 and 3 the purposeof which is togrip'the rings"17 formed on thebutt 18 of the bobbin. The

barrel 19 of the bobbin is ordinarily made of less diameter than thebutt and has the.

wound mass'of weft W'thereon.

The matter thus far described has. been in common use for many yearsin weft replenishing looms of the bobbin changing type, and of itself forms no part of this invention.

.My improved bobbin may be made in two forms,'thepreferred form as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 comprising a clip 40 having a snare head 41 shapedparticularly as-shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and located between the weft of the bobbin barrel and the ring nearest the latter. The clip may be provided with projecting edges'42 projecting upwardly from v the adjacent cylindrical portion of the bobbin buttsufficiently to trap a weft thread. I The head is :madewith an edge 42 on each side so as to operate with weft which i's'wound either in the usual-or reverse manner. Fig. 5 illustrates the: course of the weft thread 43 as itextendsfrom the bunch 44 on the bobbin over the rounded shoulder 45 of the butt and then over and in tangentialc'ontact with the first ring 17 The projections 42 are so designed as to extend above a line tangent to' the ring 17 nearestthe bunch and the rounded shoulder 45.

The clip is provided with a straight shank 46 held frictionally by one or more of the rings 17 and permits the clip to be adjusted longitudinally of the bobbin so as to place the projections 42 intheir correct positions. This adjustment is facilitated by having-the shank 46 project under all three rings and beyond the one which is nearest the buttend of thebobbin. J v I 1 A'modi-fiedform ofythe bobbin is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In this formI eliminate theclip and form. the open ring 50 nearest the barrel with'opposing free ends 51 which rounded shoulder 54 of the butt and the sec- 0nd ring 55. The points 51 project above a line tangent to the shoulder 54 and ring 55 and thus cause entry of the weft between the free ends of the ring 50.

In operation, when either form of bobbin 1 is employed the butt will move downwardly from the lay and probably somewhat ahead 'of the tip until it strikes the wall 15 at which time movement of the buttwill be temporarily retardedto allow thebobbin to assume the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. The bobbin will'cotinue to move downwardly so that in its course it willpass through the position shown in fulllines in;Fig;1.' When the bobbin approaches this position-the thread will endeavor to unwind over the butt but will be caught by one or another of the devices described; so that further unwinding of the bobbin will ice/prevented as the bobbin moves downwardly to its ultimate position of rest. I In this way the weft'end is" withdrawn from theshuttle and is not whippedbyv the latter in the shed.

From the foregoing it will'be seen that I have rovided a sim le means-for eidtractim the' weft end of abobbin in a weftrcplenishing'loom which consists essentially in providing the butt of the bobbin withsome form of snare the effect of which is to prevent unwinding of the weft overthe buttduring' the descent -'of the bobbin subsequent to transfer. It will further be seen that in both forms of the invention'the butt is provided with means which forms a notch into which the unwinding weft is directed.

Having thus describedmy invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may. be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention and. I do not wish to be 7 limited to-thedetailsherein disclosed, but what I claim is: p V

l. A bobbin having-'a'weft carryingpart anda supporting butt part, and means on thebutt part'defining with .the latter a taper ing notch opening transversely ofthe path of unwinding weft extending along the butt to engage the weft and over the-butt part. I

.2. A bobbin having a tip and supporting butt, the tip being free from weft obstructions to enable weft to unwind during Weaving and" the butt having a projection defin ing'a notch with the butt to engage the wef-t and prevent unwinding over the butt.

3. A weft bobbin with tip and butt so formed that weft is capable of unwinding over the tip, and means to define a thread receiving'notch, part of said means to direct an unwinding weft thread intothe notch to prevent the weft unwinding over the butt. '4. A'weft bobbin having "a weft carrying barrel part :and a larger supporting butt part, and a projecting edge extending into prevent unwinding the path of the weft when the latter starts to unwind over the butt to define with the latter a notch into which the weft enters to prevent further unwinding of the weft. V

5. A weft bobbin having a weft carrying barrel part and a larger supporting butt part having rings at different distances from the barrel, the ring nearest the barrel having the ends thereof projecting above a line tangent to the butt near the barrel and the next rlng to engage a weft and prevent unwinding over the butt.

6. A weft bobbin having a weft carrying barrel part and a larger supporting butt part,

and an open ring projecting above the butt part of the bobbin and having apart to extend into the path of and opposite to the direction of unwindingof the weft to engage and prevent unwinding of a weft over the butt.

7. A weft bobbin having a weft carrying barrel part and a larger supporting butt part, a bunch of reserve weft on the barrel near the butt, and a ring on the butt adjacent the barrel and having a projection defining with the butt a notch, the projection to engage and direct the unwinding weft into the notch and prevent unwinding of the weft from the bunch over the butt.

8. A weft bobbin having a butt and a yarn carrying barrel, the butt having supporting rings, and a clip passing between one of the rings and the butt of the bobbin and having a projecting edge to engage a weft and prevent unwinding of the latter over the butt end of the bobbin.

9. A weft bobbin having a butt and a weft carrying barrel, and a supporting ring on the butt adjacent the barrel, said ring being open 40 and having an end thereof provided with'a surface inclined toward the axis of the bobbin and away from the other end to define a notch to receive the thread and prevent unwinding of the weft over the butt of the bobbin.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WALTER H. WAKEFIELD. 

